Railway car brakes



May 15, 1,962 P. w. GAENSSLE RAILWAY CAR BRAKES Filed June 25, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Paul W Gaenssle BY W Q. ii

ATTORNEY y 1962 P. w. GAENSSLE 3,034,599

RAILWAY CAR BRAKES Filed June 25, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

Paul W Claenssle BY ATTORNEY May 15, 1962 P. w. GAENSSLE RAILWAY CAR BRAKES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 25, 1959 mmvrok. Paul WGaenssle A TT ORNE Y United States Patent 3,034,599 RAILVJAY CAR BRAKES Paul W. Gaenssle, Abington, Pa, assignor to The Budd Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsyl- This invention relates to railway car brakes and has for an object the provision of improvements in this art.

One of the special objects of the invention is to provide disk brakes for railway cars which are simple in design and which can quickly be assembled or disassembled.

Another object is to provide a disk brake assembly which accommodates for large axially directed movements of the brake disk.

Another object is to provide a disk brake assembly which accommodates for large out-of-plane movement of the disk.

Another object is to provide simple means for resiliently restraining the turning movement of the brake operating assembly about a longitudinal axis about which turning is provided.

The above and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of an exemplary embodiment, reference being made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a railway truck having brakes which embody the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the brake mechanism shown in FIG. 1, parts being shown in section;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation with some parts shown in section;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section and elevation taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 5--5 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 56 of 3516.2.

As shown in the drawings, a truck T comprises side frame members 1 carried by two wheel-axle units 11 at bearing joints 12 which provide considerable endwise or axial movement and the necessary turning movements. One of these bearing joints is shown in section in FIG. 1. Each wheel-axle unit 11 comprises a rigid axle 11a carrying fast thereon spaced flanged wheels 11b. Each wheel-axle unit carries fast thereon at least one ventilated brake disk 110, here shown as being secured to one of the wheels.

A bolster 14 is carried by the side frame members, being carried by springs and retained by suitable means in known manner. A car body is carried on the center joint 15 of the bolster.

The brake assembly unit, with which the present invention is particularly concerned, is carried by a cantilever support 18 secured to the bolster. At its end distant from the bolster the support 18 is provided with a front transverse portion provided with a longitudinal bearing to receive the upper journal 19 of a U-shaped swing hanger 20.

As shown in FIG. 4, the support 18 behind the front transverse portion is provided with an open space and the swing hanger journal H is inserted in its bearing from the rear within this space and is retained by a keeper bar 21 carried by a bracket 22 on the support 13 and held on the bracket by a bolt 23.

At its lower end the swing han er 2% is provided with a forwardly extending journal 24 which turnably supports a brake frame 25. As shown in FIG. 5, the brake frame 25 has a large groove 28 adapted to receive the depending retainer projection 2% of the support 1 When the swing hanger 2G is moved forward to insert its upper journal 19 in the bearing of the support 18 the lower journal will be inserted in the bearing of the brake frame 25 and since the groove 28 of the brake frame is engaged with the support projection 29 no other means are required to retain the brake frame in operative position.

At its outer end, toward the Wheel, the brake frame 25 is provided with an integral lateral projection 30 on which a brake shoe backing member 31 is pivotally supported by a pin 32.

At its other end the brake frame is provided with a bracket 33 on which a power cylinder 34 is secured by bolts 35.

intermediate its ends the brake name pivotally carries, as on a pivot pin 36, a brake lever 37. At its forward end the brake lever 37 pivotally supports, as on a pivot pin 38, a brake shoe backing member 39. To the pin 38 there is also operatively connected, as by a slide yoke 43-, a piston rod 41 of a piston, not shown, operating in the cylinder 34. At its rear end the brake lever 37 has a pivot connection 42 for a hand brake operating member.

The brake shoe backing members 31 and 39 carry segmental brake lining elements 43.

Turning movement of the swing hanger 20 about its supporting journal 19 and turning movement of the brake frame 25 about its supporting journal 24 are both resisted by a curved spring 46 carried by an upper bracket 47 secured on the side of support 18 and a lower bracket 4-8 secured to the brake frame 25 at the cylinder 34. The spring here is e-shaped and resists turning movement in either direction from a central normal position.

General alignment of the brake shoes with the disk is maintained through the action of the swing hanger 20 and the auxiliary hanger spring '46 which, together with related parts, form a parallelogram. In case there is imperfect alignment between the brake linings and the disk during brake application the spring 46 will yield to allow the linings and disk faces to engage perfectly. The S-shape of the spring provides the necessary flexure and also maintains it in proper position without any other fastenings.

In operation, the swing hanger permits the necessary extensive axial movements of the brake disk with the axle by movements of the hanger on its supporting journal and the movement of the brake frame on its supporting journal provides for out-of-plane movements of the brake disk or, more importantly, allows the brake frame and shoes to it properly on the brake disk in any position of the hanger caused by endwise movement of the axle. The S-shaped spring urges the hanger and brake frame back toward a normal central position.

The parts are simple and sturdy and can be quickly assembled and taken apart.

While one embodiment has been described for purposes of illustration it is to be understood that there may be various embodiments and modifications within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A disk brake assembly for a railway truck having a frame and a wheel-axle unit turnably mounted thereon and having extensive endwise movement, comprising in combination, a brake disk carried by said wheel-axle unit, a longitudinally extending brake support carried by the truck frame and having a front transverse portion carrying a longitudinally extending hanger journal bearing, a U-shaped swing hanger having a longitudinal upper journal axially slidably mounted in said journal bearing on said support to provide swinging of the hanger parallel to the axle, a lower longitudinally and forwardly extending journal on said swing hanger, a brake frame slidably mounted on said lower journal carried on said swing hanger, interfitting transversely extending groove and projection means on said support and brake frame providing turning movement of said brake frame about said lower journal and also providing turning movement of said swing hanger on said support and restraining the brake frame from forward or rearward movement on the said lower journal, said support being formed to provide space behind said transverse portion of sufficient longitudinal extent for the insertion of said upper swing hanger journal in the bearing from the rear, and a keeper secured on said support behind the swing hanger journal and engageable with a portion of said swing hanger for restraining the swing hanger against rearward movement out of said upper journal bearing to hold its journals in operative position in the bearings.

2. A disk brake assembly for a railway truck having a frame and a wheel-axle unit turnably mounted thereon and having extensive endwise movement, comprising in combination, a brake disk carried by said wheel-axle unit, a longitudinally extending brake support carried by the truck frame and having a front transverse portion carrying a longitudinally extending hanger journal bearing, a swing hanger having a longitudinal upper journal axially slidably mounted in said journal bearing on said support to Provide swinging of the hanger parallel to the axle, a lower longitudinally and forwardly extending journal on said swing hanger, a brake frame mounted on said lower journal carried on said swing hanger, interfitting transversely extending groove and projection means on said support and brake frame providing turning movement of said brake frame about said lower journal and also providing turning movement of said swing hanger on said support and restraining the brake frame from axial movement on the lower journal, said support being formed to provide space behind said transverse portion of sufficient longitudinal extent for the insertion of said upper hanger journal in the bearing from the rear, a keeper secured on said support behind the swing hanger journal and engageable with a portion of said swing hanger for holding the hanger against rearward movement out of said upper journal bearing to hold its journal in operative position in the bearing, and a bent spring having its upper end mounted in a lateral projection on said support and its lower end mounted in a lateral projection on said brake frame, said spring forming a parallelogram with said swing hanger and said lateral projections to resist movement in either transverse direction from a central horizontal position of the brake frame.

3. A disk brake assembly for a railway truck having a frame and a wheel-axle unit turnably mounted thereon and having extensive endwise movement, comprising in combination, a brake disk carried by said wheel-axle unit, a longitudinally extending brake support carried by the truck frame, and having a front transverse portion carrying a longitudinally extending hanger journal bearing,

'a swing hanger having a longitudinal upper journal mounted in said journal bearing on said support to provide swinging of the hanger parallel to the axle, a lower longitudinally and forwardly extending journal on said swing hanger, a brake frame mounted on said lower journal carried on said swing hanger, interfitting longitudinally extending groove and projection means on said support and brake frame providing turning movement of said brake frame about said lower journal and also providing turning movement of said swing hanger on said support and restraining the brake frame from axial move- ;ment on the lower journal, said support being formed to' provide space behind said transverse portion of sufiicient longitudinal extent for the insertion of saidupper hanger journal in the hearing from the rear, a keeper secured on said support behind the swing hanger journal and engageable with a portion of said swing hanger for holding the hanger against rearward movement out of said upper journal bearing to hold its journal in operative position in the bearing, and an S-shaped bent spring having its upper end mounted in a bearing in a lateral projection on said support and its lower end mounted in a lateral projection on said brake frame, said spring forming a parallelogram with said swing hanger and said lateral projeetions to resist movement in either transverse direction from a central horizontal position of the brake frame.

4. A disk brake assembly for a railway truck having a frame and a wheel-axle unit turnably mounted thereon and having extensive endwise movement, comprising in combination, a brake disk carried by said rwheel-axle unit, a longitudinally extending brake support carried by the truck frame and having a front transverse portion carry- I ing a longitudinally extending hanger journal bearing, a U-shaped swing hanger having an upper longitudinal journal axially slidably mounted in said journal bearing on said support to provide swinging of the hanger parallel 'to the axle, a lower longitudinally and forwardly extending journal onrsaid swing hanger, a brake frame slidably mounted on said lower journal on said swing hanger, coacting means on said brake support and said brake frame retaining said brake frame on said lower journal and providing turning movement of the brake frame on the lower journal, said brake suppoit being formed to provide space behind said transverse portion of sufficient longitudinal extent for the insertion and removal of said upper hanger journal from the rear, a keeper secured on said support behind the swing hanger journal and engageable with a portion of said swing hanger for restraining the hanger against rearward movement of said upper journal bearing to hold its journals in operative position, and means mounted between said brake support and said swing hanger resiliently urging said swing hanger and brake frame to a central position 5. in a removable disk brake assembly for a railway truck having a frame and wheel-axle unit turnably mounted thereon, comprising in combination, a brake support having a journal bearing housing carried by the truck frame, a brake frame having a journal bearing housing therein, interfitting transverse groove and projection means on said'brake support and said brake frame for restricting longitudinal movement of said brake frame relative to said brake support, a. U-shaped swing hanger formed with an upper and lower journal pins mounted respectively in the journal bearing housing of said brake support and in the journal bearing housing of said brake frame pivotally supporting said brake frame on said brake support, said swing hanger being removable rearward from said bearing housings, and a keeper on said brake support behind said U-shaped swing hanger for restraining rearward movement of said swing hanger.

References ited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

